Tilliard, pair of Louis XVI armchairs stamped TILLIARD

Pair of armchairs stamped Tilliard with flat backs and basket handles in carved, molded and lacquered beechwood from the Louis XVI period. Their square backs, in the form of tables with low arches known as "basket handles", are covered with wide, infinite moldings, where the armrests come to rest high up. The armrests, with their concave cuffs, rest on the top of the arch of the armrest brackets, which are themselves punctuated by interior scrolls. These brackets rest on cubic connecting dices carved with rosettes in line with the front foot. The base of the table rests on two fluted stops on the sides and front, overhanging the rear connecting pieces, thus linking the back to the belt. This is trapezoidal, given the curvature of the crosspieces, which in fact consists of a main crosspiece with a step, sides all with decreasing curves and counter-curves, and a long side for the rear crosspiece; all connected by the connecting dowels. The base consists of four legs. All are tapered with deep flutes, strangled at the top and pinched at the base. The shaft is harmoniously decorated with parallel heart and pearl motifs, acanthus leaves, scrolls and rosettes. Balance, liveliness, elegance, comfort and quality are the most appropriate terms to describe this very fine and beautiful pair of seats. It's worth noting the great care taken with the impeccable quality of the linking elements. This pair of armchairs demonstrates the balance that Tilliard brought to his chairs, which he always adorned with deep, generous, finely-crafted sculptures.
The stamp: Tillard is stamped on the rear crosspiece of each of the two seats.
Dimensions: height to back 92.4cm, to seat 42.5cm - width to armrests 63.5cm, to base of back 46.8cm - seat depth 54.7cm.
Upholstery and upholstery fully restored, cover from Casamance Paris. Note the squaring to promote homogeneity and stability without the use of glue, the bane of assembly.

Jean-Baptiste II Tilliard - Parisian cabinetmaker. Master, 1752. Supplier to the Mobilier de la Couronne.
Son of Jean Baptiste I Tilliard, Jean Baptiste II became a master carpenter in 1752, but was not registered until 1764, when he took over the family workshop on rue de Cléry, on his father's retirement at the age of 78.
He continued his father's work, with, of course, the normal evolution of styles. As both father and son used the same stamp, without specifying their first names, it's not always possible to tell the difference between their creations. However, if there is any doubt about the Louis XV chairs, those in the Louis XVI style are unquestionably attributed to Jean Baptiste II. But whether father or son, the Tilliard stamp remains a label of the highest quality. Jean Baptiste II took over his father's position as "menuisier ordinaire du Garde Meuble de la couronne" and received major orders from the royal houses. In particular, he supplied the Château de Versailles with an important piece of furniture decorated with musical loves and trophies. Corporate regulations obliged him to collaborate with sculptors Chaillon and Dr. Mathon on the highly-worked seats. Museums: Chaise longue - Chateau de Versailles, Fauteuils - J. Paul Getty Museum and Fauteuils - Cleveland Museum of Art. Bibliography: Mobilier Français du XVIIIème Siècle - Pierre Kjellberg - Les Editions de l'Amateur - 2002, Les ébénistes du XVIIIe siècle - Comte François de Salverte - Les éditions d'Art et d'Histoire - 1934, L'Art des grands sièges - Jean-Baptiste Tilliard - L'Estampille, n° 173, Septembre 1984, p. 9-13.